Senoia man arrested after breaking mother's wrists

by Wes Mayer

A man suspected of beating his 79-year-old mother was arrested Wednesday, said Lt. Col. Jimmy Yarbrough with the Coweta County Sheriff's Office.

On Jan. 9, investigators with the sheriff's office responded to the 800 block of Linch Road in Senoia in reference to family violence, Yarbrough said. At the home, investigators spoke to the victim, who had severe bruising on her face and wrists - they later found her wrists had been broken. Investigators learned the attack occurred the day before, but the suspect, her son, Joseph Allan Buchanan, 39, ripped the phone from the wall when he left.

Buchanan broke his elderly mother's wrists after twisting them. After that, Buchanan ripped his mother's home phone out of the wall, stole her keys and left in her vehicle. His mother later found an old phone and was able to reattach it to contact authorities.

Yarbrough said that for two weeks Buchanan was able to evade law enforcement, until a conf idential informant was able to assist in his capture. Buchanan was arrested Wednesday and charged with family violence acts of battery and aggravated battery, two counts of theft by taking, interfering with calls for emergency assistance and criminal trespassing.